One of the dumbest article on WaPo in a long time. It is embarrassing. An actual quote:
"it means nothing like what it seems to mean."
This quote speaks for itself (unless, of course, it means nothing like what it seems to mean).

So not only is he selectively quoting passages from the Koran when its convenient, but also selectively creating "context" for quotes when its inconvenient.

Let's not forget that, regardless of the context, the "Sword Verse" recapitulates quite well the violent actions of Muslims for over a thousand years. What is the appropriate context for a thousand year history of violence?

kaestnerlotar

You wrote, " Why do we have chosen people and not chosen people, but who have the same necessities of land, water, money?"

We have chosen people because God chose and formed a people as part of His Plan.

There seem to be quite a few, both Jew and Gentile, that totally misinterprete what "Chosen" means and does not mean.

Take care, be ready.

Sincerely, Thomas Paul Moses Baum.

Robert Wright

You wrote, "Why does the New Testament sometimes say "love your enemy" and sometimes envision Jesus returning to earth to "destroy every ruler" and "put all his enemies under his feet"? (Or, in another rendering, wearing a "robe dipped in blood" and bearing a "sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.") Because of changing facts on the ground."

Have you ever "pondered the idea" that the "sword" that Jesus spoke of was the "sword of truth" just like He said.

Take care, be ready.

Sincerely, Thomas Paul Moses Baum.

Hope (feeling) is the Petro that the SOUL, Spirit, HEURiSTICa/O rely's on and thus prays To (Talks) & Meditates from (Listens)! Hope is what makes US whole & allows Us to be Born again, so to speaketh.

Dear World. aka, S.pace-S.hip Earth: That
Yesterday, from Info & Belief; my [OUR] sources gave i [US] 3-Acounts of what they did to the Body of King 'Osama Bin Ladin'.

1st account:
As He was surely/inevitably dieing [Kidney Disease] and Death call forced him to request to have his Body Loaded with Expolosives & Ignited/blow himself up to a million peeces. And His followers simply picked-up the peaces & kept them for Good Luck. Thus he became a Matyre.

2nd account:
Since Osama Body Could'nt be cremated; that He was encased , intombed into the sides or insides of one of his/their favorite Cave-Hideouts!

3rd account:
That Osama's body was plainly Burried like a true Jihaddist Matyre but his dead Corpse was dressed in a bomb jacket and the rest of his grave is been Mooby-Trapped & the Radius of his Grave hath also been inplanted with Road side like Bombs & Many Many Landmines; Planted like Trees via his followers.

Note: Then Later-on Most of His Burial Witness or those whom knew his whereabouts are also dead since they all participated in SUICIDE Acts through out the Lands!
Soo,

The Dead Don't Talketh & Nobody can attest to where Osama Bid Ladin's ugly Body is precisely located.

PS: He Died Last Mid 2007.

Go Figure!

Word from "God" is the closest thing we will find to an absolute categorical imperative on this earth. That is the genesis of the fighting. My absolute against your absolute. It took the disease, famine and destruction of the Thirty Years War to disabuse European priests and princes of the notion that the word of God, as they saw it, was justifiably enforceable at the point of a sword begin the separation of church and state in the West. I remain uncertain that the Muslims can manage it without the blood payment for the lesson.

Morality is doing what is right
no matter what is told
Religion is doing what is told
no matterwhat is right

All answers to all questions are found in all things in all existence. Reason.
http://tinyurl.com/cbxpb7

what percentage of muslims would you say are not literalists?
_______________________________________

I am not aware of any survey on this. Whatever the percentage liberal arts education and not bombs are the answer.

In my view, literalist is a deceptive term.

My experience (and probably every human being's )is that once you open your mouth, somebody will criticize you. In other words, the problem in communication is interpretation.

In all religions, some take a narrow and often misguided interpretation others take an enlightened interpretation.

"THERE IS NO COMPULSION IN RELIGION". Millions of Muslims believe that religion should be a matter of free will and not force.

Anyone believing otherwise is giving a misguided interpretation.

As for as your other post: Good for you whatever you found or did not find.

"If someone is happy to be an athiest, that is none of my business..."

well, it's not that i WANT to be an atheist or am particularly "happy" with that, it's just that i've never seen evidence to make me think god is other than wishful thinking.

zebra4,
so you're a muslim who's not a literalist. very interesting. what percentage of muslims would you say are not literalists?

By the way, the concept of heaven and hell are the concepts of basically monotheistic religions, although Hindus have adopted it too.

Religions use both carrots and sticks. In Buddhism and Jainism the concept of reincarnation is a mechanism by which the believers try to conform to the social standards. There is a continuous cycle of birth and rebirth. By conforming to certain standards a path is given for 'nirvana' and 'moksha'. One can end this continous cycls of birth and rebirth by achieving 'nirvana'

To me, Islam is appealing for various reasons. One must read the history and the belief system and practices to understand that.

Unfortunately, most people are inundated with a disinformations camapaign against Islam which leads people to faulty perceptions.

If someone is happy to be an athiest, that is none of my business but don't make my business to be yours.

Any introductory text book in anthropology explains the difference between science and religion. Both are parts of the human experience.

Science is based on empirical verification of phenomena. Science has failed to explain emprically how the matter came about. It is a mystery that remains unresolved.

Religion is based on faith. The latter is not subject to emprical verification.

Yes, it is from religious text that the concept of CREATOR comes from. It can neither be proven nor can it be disproven. FAITH IS FAITH.

Religion performs important functions in human societies. (1) It provides a map of code of conduct and gives us moral values, (2)It provides us "the we feeling" and requires humans to conform to the social norms of society. Of course, those norms vary from one society to the next. and (3)All religions have sacred and ritual.

The sacred gives humans reasons to that code of conduct.A Ritual is the prescribed way of performing a religious act.

Rituals perform important functions. They are repetitive in nature and are passed on from one generation to the next and reinforce discipline of the ethos.

So, Science and religion are two seperate aspects of the human experience.

I believe both in evolution and G-D.

I see evolution as a mechanism or a system given by G-D. The world is not random. There are mechanisms that give us "day' and "night" seasons etc.

zebra4, you (meant to) said,
"Science could only prolong life but could not eliminate death."

indeed. that's why man made god - to provide a mechanism to cheat death. that's what heaven is.
___________________________________-

you said,
"(1) The CREATOR (G-D) is the answer to the first issue. No one created Him. The "buck stops there." When there was nothing He was there. When there will be nothing, He will still be there."

that's just faulty logic. what does "no one created him" mean? how do you know that? because you books says so? if "no one created him" then why couldn't "no one" have created the universe? i mean, why have that extra step of "not creating" god, then having god create the universe?

If we would transfer this conflict to South America it would be called: 'Banana republic conflicts'. Intermarriage would help a lot the conflict, because love would be in between and Israel & Palestina would be one country. This is a dream...but for those who are already married it's reality. What is a big obstacle is 'the chosen people by God'. They can not touch gentiles: Christians, Muslims but need them to live. Why do we have chosen people and not chosen people, but who have the same necessities of land, water, money?

CORRECTION:

Science could prolong life, but could not eliminate DEATH.

The word 'infidel' is a biblical word. Islam makes a distinction between believers and non-believers.

Atheiests could never explain how the 'matter' was created. Science could only prolong life but could not eliminate it.

The answers to those two issues are found in religion in the following ways:

(1) The CREATOR (G-D) is the answer to the first issue. No one created Him. The "buck stops there." When there was nothing He was there. When there will be nothing, He will still be there.

(2) "All living things will taste death"--believers and non-belivers included. ALL LIFE FORMS.

abhab,
it's always funny when muslims try to show how "tolerant" islam is by bragging how they discriminate less against "people of the book" than garden-variety polytheists.

Wright says:
“For starters, the word sometimes translated as "infidels" doesn't mean "anyone who isn't a Muslim". The original Arabic means "those who join other gods with God"--which is to say, polytheists. So "the sword verse" is hardly the strongest imaginable basis for attacking Christians and Jews.”

Maybe not the Jews, but Christians are polytheists, according to Muslim understanding. The Muslims interpret the concept of Trinity to mean three Gods. If the so-called “sword “verse does not specifically apply to Jews and Christians, as you maintain, there are plenty others that do. As an example
Quran 9:29“Fight ye those who believe not in Allah and His prophet (meaning Mohammad)….” is just one of many such gems that riddle their scriptures
.
PS. Kafir and Mushrik are used interchangeably in their scriptures and translated as infidel. The former means “unbeliever (in the prophet hood of Mohammad) and the latter means polytheist.

EBBO

PATEL

is

a

Jealous

Muslom

aaaaa

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AND: Don't Worry KEEP BUSY:

IMPORTANT: Rich, Middle-class or Poor, If YE hath All these “4-Tetra-Needs“ then Ye hath No Worry’s on this Blesseth Holy Cosmic Miraculous, & zero biblical Sin, S.pace-S.hip Planet EARTH, aka S.S. GAiA, S.S. GEOiD, S.S. TELLUSng something!

">H>E>L>L>O>W>O>R>L>>D>>>>>">http://./>>>>>
Imagine if Ye could not post the word "JESUS?
or MOSES? or
MUHAMMAD,
VYASA?
GAUTAMA?
CONFUCIOUS? or
Borak Obama or SAlly Quinn...? et al

http://www.astronomy{2009.org}

FRM CONEY ISLAND NEW YORK

Note: Please paste http://www.astronomy{2009.org} into Ye address/Browser window & remove only the Left & Right 'Curly Brackets'.

Beware: If ye (for the Heck of It) post this (bare URL) & hit the "Submit" key; Ye will get a "DENIAL OF SERVICE" . Curse Words are not the only words that are "SENSORED"!

Try the word "SHi{L}OH" (means Peace) & "Post".

Is it TRUE (opposite MYTH) that this Blog (onfaith & postglobal) is owned & Controlled by the Vatican/Catholic Church? or is It Queen/King of England?

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This WAPO blogg are Not (American) not team Players! "NEWSCORP" (from England) does not like the Peaceful U.N. "UNESCO" 400 Year [international] Anniversery of GALALIO's telescope [pbuh & similarly situated].

http://www.astronomy{2009.org}

FRM CONEY ISLAND NEW YORK

Note: Please paste http://www.astronomy{2009.org} into Ye address/Browser window & remove only the Left & Right 'Curly Brackets'.

Beware: If ye (for the Heck of It) post this (bare URL) & hit the "Submit" key; Ye will get a "DENIAL OF SERVICE" . Curse Words are not the only words that are "SENSORED"!

Try the word "SHi{L}OH" (means Peace) & "Post".

Try the Smiley : Please arrainge them together on a Horizontal line & then try SUBMIT?

?
:+)

This WAPO blogg are Not (American) not team Players! "NEWSCORP" (from England) does not like the Peaceful U.N. "UNESCO" 400 Year [international] Anniversery of GALALIO's telescope [pbuh & similarly situated].

http://www.astronomy{2009.org}

FRM CONEY ISLAND NEW YORK

Note: Please paste http://www.astronomy{2009.org} into Ye address/Browser window & remove only the Left & Right 'Curly Brackets'.

Beware: If ye (for the Heck of It) post this (bare URL) & hit the "Submit" key; Ye will get a "DENIAL OF SERVICE" . Curse Words are not the only words that are "SENSORED"!

Try the word "SHi{L}OH" (means Peace) & "Post".

Try the Smiley {

"Becarefull for what Ye Wish for"

Earthly HOPE is cometh from Past (History). Hence; "History is OUR Jury".

But as human witness's our innate HOLYi H-O-P-E Belongs to All, Every & Any MAN/WOMB & any Religion affiliation (not needed); Hope w/out COSMiC/FEELING, is an overlooked Faith/Belief/Religion.

H-O-P-E is Universal. HOPE is like Math a international & Hope is a Universal Omnipresent FEELING, a State of Being & felt from Heart to Mind & back again. We art wraped in Hope.

Hope (feeling) is the Petro that the SOUL, Spirit, HEURiSTICa/O prays To (Talks) & Meditates from (Listens)! Hope is what makes US whole & allows Us to be Born again, so to speaketh.

HOPE is for the aTheist & aGnostic, The ABRAHAMICS,VEDICS, PAGANS, WICAAN, Aliens et al!

NO HOPE NO LIFE, NO LOVE No Living No FREEDOM! Zero Happyness! So, Let's HOPE together for the best. The ultimate S-Y-N-E-R-G-E-T-i-C's!

Note: To Make some Hope(s) a Reality, one must never procrastinate, aka the Thief of Time & of Opportunity! so Patience is something else!

*quoting a lot for clarity.*

"For starters, the word sometimes translated as "infidels" doesn't mean "anyone who isn't a Muslim". The original Arabic means "those who join other gods with God"--which is to say, polytheists. So "the sword verse" is hardly the strongest imaginable basis for attacking Christians and Jews."

"More to the point, the verse doesn't even include all polytheists. It's preceded by a preamble that says, "But this concerneth not those Polytheists with whom ye are in league, and who shall have afterwards in no way failed you, nor aided anyone against you."

Of course, book-religions are pretty good at selective quotations, and you can study as much as you want and it won't help you if they've got a mind to get nasty and justify it, ...But...

If that's a good quote, it wouldn't be the worst thing ever for Pagans abroad, particularly our troops, to sew into a jacket-lining or something.

Nothing like being caught up in a three way 'holy war' and none of the sides' talk of mercy and honor even taken to apply to you.